Kuhn Moco purchasing question

[Newdesertfox]

I had some questions about this MOCO I was looking at, I'm getting into haying this year with 80 acres right now hopefully expanding to about 150-200 by fall. I have a 100HP tractor so looking for something with some decent size, and being that I would be mowing a mixture of grasses, and on my fields I plant heavily in forage crops in the BMR sorgum-sudan and Millet varieties combined with humid summers wanted a diskbine moco to cut everything and also speed up drying. Semi limited budget, and fields are a bit spreed out so have to be able to haul either behind truck, or on flatbeds so center pull is most interesting, but I saw this Kuhn fc303gc for very affordable cost for what it is, needs some TLC work (mechanic of sorts used to working on heavy equipment) But Im wondering what people think of the cutting bar, it looks half decent to me, minus a possible leak on one cutter hub? and the left side hub deflector thingy has a crack in it. Are those big issues to fix that are thousands of dollars or does it look like a decently safe option to work with and then fix up all the way over the summer? Thanks!

 

[RickB]

I would not necessarily be afraid of it. But if I owned it those worn, cracked parts would be replaced before I put it in the field. You do not want parts and pieces flyin* off the bar and either through the conditioner or your head.

 

[LouNY]

Kuhn makes decent equipment, but like anything when you get started on repairs it adds up fast.
That semi-mounted is a nice hitch and it will hyro swing when mowing which is handy.
Also on the 2 point hitch there should be a pair of limiter chains with ears that go on the tractor side top link pin,
this does away with having to maintain a set distance with your lift arms as the chains set the height.
They will mow faster and cleaner then a sickle bar haybine.

 

[Newdesertfox]

yeah I didn't think of that at first but if things exploded into the bar that would be quite bad, but repairs can really add up and you have to take into effect down times as well. That hitch was a really interesting aspect, but it does appear to be heavily wore out. And I could never use a sickle bar here, wet grass all the time, and I have SUPER hard packed clay that requires deep sub soiling at times which means that smaller roots are ripped up a few inches off the ground and I'd guess for sure would jam a sickle bar badly

 

[Ortimber]

You might try going to haytalk.com. There is a wealth of hay knowledge on that site.